The present invention relates to apparatus for providing a warm water circulatory system for use in conjunction with diving suits and in particular to a heating system for warming the body of a diver while underwater.
The discomfort of a scuba-diver in cold water is obvious, and prolonged submersion in low-temperature conditions becomes intolerable and dangerous to the divers. Even with moderate surface temperatures, the cold at lower depths represents a forbiddingly restrictive factor limiting the scope, effectiveness, and freedom of the diver's range and ability to do useful work.
In the aforementioned application of Zebuhr et al, a diver heater system has been disclosed having a catalytic combustion chamber in association with a fluid heat exchanger. High pressure air is employed to control a fuel pressure regulator and a pneumatic pump for supplying a mixture of air and fuel to the combustion chamber and for circulating water through the heat exchanger. While this heater is quite efficient, the use of the air pressure to provide a pneumatic pump results in certain operational limitations to the depth at which the heater can be used. Further, the circulation of water through the heater is not efficiently effected and does not provide efficient means for forming a closed fluid loop by which the heated water can easily return from the diver's suit to the heater.
These and other objects are fully realized in the present invention, as will become apparent from the ensuing sections of this specification.